Ken Dryden

DR. CHARLES H. TATOR

Chair of Neurosurgery, University of Toronto

Charles H. Tator is trained in Neurosurgery and Neuropathology and was Chair of Neurosurgery, at the University of Toronto who founded ThinkFirst, Canada, a national brain and spinal cord injury foundation.

Dr. Robert Cantu

Clinical Professor & Medical Director

Clinical Professor in the Department of Neurology and Neurosurgery, Clinical Diagnostics and Therapeutics Leader AD and CTE Center, at the Boston University School of Medicine, and Medical Director and Director of Clinical Research, Dr. Robert C. Cantu Concussion Center, Emerson Hospital.

Dr. Scott Delaney

Dr. Delaney practices emergency medicine and sport medicine at McGill University and the MUHC. He has a fellowship in sport medicine and is the research director for the MUHC Adult Emergency Department.

Dr. Blaine Hoshizaki

Faculty of Health Sciences, School of Human Kinetics

In 2005 Dr. Hoshizaki developed the Neurotrauma Impact Research Laboratory at the University of Ottawa with the following vision: “Head injuries will become a rare and inconsequential part of athletic and leisure activities.”

Gordon Stringer

DR. CHARLES H. TATOR

Chair of Neurosurgery, University of Toronto

Charles H. Tator is trained in Neurosurgery and Neuropathology and was Chair of Neurosurgery, at the University of Toronto who founded ThinkFirst, Canada, a national brain and spinal cord injury foundation.

Accommodations

Hilton Niagara Falls/Fallsview Hotel & Suites

Location

Hayley Wickenheiser

Doctor of Laws

Considered one of the best female hockey players in the world, Hayley Wickenheiser is a five-time Olympic medalist and seven-time World Championship medalist.

Ms. Wickenheiser’s ascent to the top of the sport started in Shaunavon, Saskatchewan when at 15 she was the youngest member chosen for the Canadian Women’s National Team – a team she has since led to six gold and one silver medal at the Women’s World Hockey Championships. Ms. Wickenheiser made history in 2003 when she became the first female hockey player to notch a point in a men’s professional game with the Kirkkonummen Salamat of the Finnish second division. She also played in Eskilstuna, Sweden with a men’s professional division one hockey team for the 08-09 season. Her Olympic career spans five Winter Olympics between 1998 and 2014 earning a silver medal in 1998 and four gold medals in 2002, 2006, 2010 and most recently in 2014 where she was also selected to be the flag bearer for the Canadian Olympic team during the opening ceremonies.

Twice named one of Globe and Mail’s “Power 50” influencers in sport, Ms. Wickenheiser’s accolades include being named #20 on Sports Illustrated’s Top 25 Toughest Athletes in the World in 2008 (one of only two females on the list that year), a two-time finalist for the Women’s Sports Foundation Team Athlete of The Year, being named among the top 10 “Greatest Female Athletes in the History of Sports” by the QMI Agency, and numerous MVP and all-star selections. In 2011 she was amongst 50 notable Canadians appointed to the Order of Canada for her achievements as an athlete and for her contributions to the growth of women’s hockey, and in 2014 Ms. Wickenheiser was inducted into Canada’s Walk of Fame.

Ms. Wickenheiser’s passion for sport is equally matched by her desire to give back to the community through her work with organizations such as JumpStart, KidSport, Project North, Right to Play and many others. She has led numerous projects with the goal of raising the profile of women’s sport around the world and constantly works to provide mentoring opportunities for young athletes including her legacy project “The Canadian Tire Wickenheiser World Female Hockey Festival.”

An inspiration and trailblazer, Ms. Wickenheiser retired from hockey in January 2017 as the all-time leading scorer with 168 goals and 211 assists in 276 games. She holds a BSc from the University of Calgary and is currently pursuing a career in medicine.

Ken Dryden

Former NHL Goalie, Montreal Canadiens

Ken Dryden was a goalie for the Montreal Canadiens during the 1970s during which time the team won six Stanley Cups. He was also a member of Team Canada 1972. He is a member of the Hockey Hall of Fame and the Canadian Sports Hall of Fame.

He is a former member of parliament and cabinet minister, and is the author of six books, including The Game and Home Game (with Roy MacGregor), and most recently, Game Change: The Life and Death of Steve Montador, and the Future of Hockey. He and his wife, Lynda, live in Toronto and have two children and four grandchildren.

DR. CHARLES H. TATOR

Chair of Neurosurgery, University of Toronto

Charles Tator trained in Neurosurgery and Neuropathology and was Chair of Neurosurgery, at the University of Toronto. He was the head of Neurosurgery at the Toronto Western Hospital, and founded ThinkFirst, Canada, a national brain and spinal cord injury foundation. In 2012, ThinkFirst merged with three other national injury prevention charities to form Parachute Canada of which he is a Board Member. He held two research chairs at the University of Toronto, and is a member of the Order of Canada, and the Canadian Medical Hall of Fame. Currently, he is a Senior Scientist in the Toronto Western Research Institute and Project Leader of the Canadian Sports Concussion Project at the Krembil Neuroscience Centre. He has received awards from the Canadian Paraplegic Association, the University of California Reeve-Irvine, Canadian Brain Injury Coalition, USA Hockey and American Spinal Injuries Association. His book on Catastrophic Injuries in Sports and Recreation was published by the University of Toronto Press in 2008, and his Practice Primer on Concussions appeared in the Canadian Medical Association Journal in 2013. In 2014, he was awarded the Medal of Honour by Canada’s Pharmaceutical Association.

Dr. Robert Cantu

Clinical Professor & Medical Director

Dr. Robert Cantu is a Clinical Professor in the Department of Neurology and Neurosurgery, Clinical Diagnostics and Therapeutics Leader AD and CTE Center, at the Boston University School of Medicine, and Medical Director and Director of Clinical Research, Dr. Robert C. Cantu Concussion Center, Emerson Hospital. He has authored over 428 scientific publications, including 33 books on neurology and sports medicine, in addition to numerous book chapters, peer-reviewed papers, abstracts and free communications, and educational videos. He is section editor for World Neurosurgery and he has served as associate editor of Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise and Exercise and Sports Science Review, and on the editorial board of The Physician and Sports Medicine, Clinical Journal of Sports Medicine, and Journal of Athletic Training.

Dr. Scott Delaney

Dr. Delaney practices emergency medicine and sport medicine at McGill University and the MUHC. He has a fellowship in sport medicine and is the research director for the MUHC Adult Emergency Department. He is an associate professor at McGill University and is a team physician for the Montreal Alouettes, Montreal Impact, McGill Football, McGill Men’s and Women’s Soccer teams and Cirque du Soleil. He is a member of the editorial board for the Clinical Journal of Sport Medicine and his research interests include concussions and neck injuries in both the athletic and emergency department populations.

Dr. Blaine Hoshizaki

Faculty of Health Sciences, School of Human Kinetics

Sport related head and neck injuries are responsible for some of the most catastrophic injuries. The outcome of these head injuries can be devastating, often leading to significant lifelong physical, academic, emotional, and economic consequences. Next to avoidance and education, protective head gear is the most effective intervention strategy for preventing or minimizing sport-related head injuries.

In 2005 Dr. Hoshizaki developed the Neurotrauma Impact Research Laboratory at the University of Ottawa with the following vision: “Head injuries will become a rare and inconsequential part of athletic and leisure activities.” To date the laboratory has attracted over 1.8 million dollars in research support. The mission of the Neurotrauma Impact Research Laboratory is to undertake research that contributes in a meaningful way to decreasing all types of head injury in sport.

Undertake research that provides an understanding of how minor traumatic brain injuries and traumatic brain injuries occur to support the educational programs to decrease injury.

Undertake research designed to improve the effectiveness of helmet safety standards designed to decrease the severity and number of head injuries in sport.

Undertake research to develop improved engineered materials that decrease the risk and severity of head injuries in high risk sport and recreational activities.

Undertake injury reconstruction research to recreate the head dynamic response to injury causing impacts; to map the resulting brain tissue stress resulting from head impacts.

Dr. Hoshizaki continues to participate in national and international helmet standard organizations to develop and improve safety requirements for sport helmet certifications (ASTM, CSA, HECC, CE, ISO). He is the technical advisor for Parachute; a national educational organization that is committed to educating Canadians to the risks resulting in head injuries. The Xenith X1 football helmet and CCM Resistance hockey helmet are examples of bringing research to practice. Research undertook in 2005 was ultimately used to develop an innovative product designed to decrease head injuries in American football (Xenith.com) and ice hockey (CCM). He has published over 60 scientific papers and 100 scientific presentations involving head injuries in sport and was named as one of the top fifty most influential people in sport in 2011 by Globe and Mail.

Dr. Dan Cass

Chair of the Rowan’s Law Advisory Committee

Dr. Dan Cass has been appointed the Chair of the Rowan’s Law Advisory Committee. Dr. Cass is the Vice President of Medical at St. Joseph’s Health Centre and an Associate Professor in the Division of Emergency Medicine, Department of Medicine at the University of Toronto. He has served as Chief of Emergency Medicine at St. Michael’s Hospital in Toronto and extensively with the Office of the Chief Coroner, where he was appointed Deputy Chief Coroner – Investigations for the Province of Ontario. Dr. Cass provided leadership for two special death investigations and chaired the Patient Safety Review Committee.

Eric Lindros

Former NHL Hockey Player

Eric Lindros is a former NHL hockey player and Canadian National Hockey team member. He was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 2016. Lindros is an active advocate of concussion research, care and awareness. During his career, he suffered a series of concussions — at least eight by the time he retired. In 2007, Lindros donated $5 million to the London Health Sciences Foundation, one of the largest one-time donations the foundation has ever received. The gift was inspired by Dr. Peter Fowler, co-founder of the Fowler Kennedy Sport Medicine Clinic where Lindros was treated during his NHL career. In 2016, he was the Honorary Chair of the annual See the Line Symposium – a 10-year initiative that aims to bring together world-class health care and research partners in a unique

Warren Hoshizaki

Director of Education for the District School Board of Niagara

Warren Hoshizaki is the Director of Education for the District School Board of Niagara, the largest school board in the Niagara region. Hoshizaki is keenly aware of the impact concussions can have, not only on professional athletes, but also on students who are injured pursuing their love of sports. Under Hoshizaki’s direction, the DSBN has been at the forefront of developing a school board policy and administrative procedures on concussions in an effort to educate teachers, coaches, students and parents about concussions and mechanisms to manage them. He also served on the Ontario government’s Healthy Schools Initiative – A Working Table Committee on Concussions.

Gordon Stringer

Father of Rowan Stringer

Gordon Stringer is the father of Rowan Stringer, a 17-year-old girl who died in May 2013 after suffering three concussions in less than a week while playing high school rugby. After Rowan’s death, Stringer and his family decided to do what they could to tell Rowan’s story and educate children, athletes and all involved in child and youth sport. Their goal is to help prevent future injury and death from concussion. On November 25, 2015, Lisa MacLeod, MPP for Nepean-Carleton, introduced Rowan's Law in the Ontario Legislature. Gordon and his family launched a petition in support of the Rowan’s Law legislation at an Ottawa rugby field along with athletes, coaches, medical professionals and politicians.

DR. CHARLES H. TATOR

Chair of Neurosurgery, University of Toronto

Charles Tator trained in Neurosurgery and Neuropathology and was Chair of Neurosurgery, at the University of Toronto. He was the head of Neurosurgery at the Toronto Western Hospital, and founded ThinkFirst, Canada, a national brain and spinal cord injury foundation. In 2012, ThinkFirst merged with three other national injury prevention charities to form Parachute Canada of which he is a Board Member. He held two research chairs at the University of Toronto, and is a member of the Order of Canada, and the Canadian Medical Hall of Fame. Currently, he is a Senior Scientist in the Toronto Western Research Institute and Project Leader of the Canadian Sports Concussion Project at the Krembil Neuroscience Centre. He has received awards from the Canadian Paraplegic Association, the University of California Reeve-Irvine, Canadian Brain Injury Coalition, USA Hockey and American Spinal Injuries Association. His book on Catastrophic Injuries in Sports and Recreation was published by the University of Toronto Press in 2008, and his Practice Primer on Concussions appeared in the Canadian Medical Association Journal in 2013. In 2014, he was awarded the Medal of Honour by Canada’s Pharmaceutical Association.